A study on happiness boiled down to the presence of rich, deep, and meaningful relationships

The Bright Side of Relating
Fellowship – Part 1

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Sometimes church people refer to eating cookies and drinking punch as their fellowship time. The Bible goes much deeper with that word. The Greek word used in our text for today is koinonia. The English words to translate it are fellowship, community, communion, joint participation and intercourse. In the New Testament the word fellowship referred to the intimacy among the believers. It was the deep and secure bond among God’s people.

This fellowship should be an extension of our family. We often refer to the church people as our church family. Our family relations should first exhibit the characteristics of fellowship. We need it as human beings. God created us for fellowship. We are to enjoy fellowship with God Himself, according to 1 Corinthians 1:9 – “God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord…” This same intimacy needs to flow into every aspect of our relational lives! It is indeed the bright side of relating to our relations.

John Ortberg, in his book “The Me I Want to Be,” quotes a study in the academic journal, “The Journal of Happiness Studies” on page 182. This study showed the difference of very happy people from less happy people. It boiled down to the presence of rich, deep, and meaningful relationships. God created us for these relationships; that is why they bless us to such degrees. (Continued.)

Father, I humble myself before you asking that you help me to develop meaningful relationship with the people in my life!In Jesus’ Name, amen.